Inseparable
by SeaGreenEyesD4
Summary: Finnick and Annie become best friends, but slowly start to fall in love with each other. Things start to get complicated though as they grow older, but still their love remains unbreakable. Living in such a cruel world and dealing with things no person should have to deal with, they remain together. This is the story of Finnick and Annie from beginning to end.
1. Chapter 1

Twelve year old Annie Cresta stood at the edge of the shore, the water just covering her feet when the gentle waves came in. She stared out at the orange hue that was cast upon the horizon, smiling slightly at how pretty it was.

She always took time to appreciate nature and the beauty of things; everything life had to offer. She thought she was maybe different because of that, thinking so in depth of things. But, she had always been like that.

It was the middle of September here in District four, but the seasons or months here didn't matter. The weather was always the same. Sunny and warm, the sun always beating down on her every time she stepped outside. It's not like she minded it since she didn't really go outside much, always staying in to help her mother and father with something.

Lost in her thoughts, Annie was so startled when she heard the voice behind her.

"Cresta?" she voice said, and Annie quickly turned around, tilting her head when she saw Finnick Odair standing there.

Just by looking at him, he made her nervous and intimidating. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because he was the most popular boy in their school. With his amazing looks, and charming personality, there wasn't a person in the school that didn't at least like him. Annie didn't know much about him though, and only had seen him around school a couple of times. She was surprised that he even knew her last name. He wasn't even in her grade. Annie was in 7th grade, and he was in 8th, but he was only a year older than her.

"Hi Odair," Annie said casually, pursing her lips and still feeling a nervous feeling in her stomach.

A smile played up upon his lips and he walked a bit closer to her, walking up so he was face to face with her now.

"I never see you around here. This your first time being to the beach or something?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No.. I mean, I just don't go much. I usually just um.. Stay inside," Annie said, but then wanted to smack herself for how pathetic that sounded. Annie wasn't the best at being social, and being around Finnick Odair made talking even worse.

"I've noticed. I mean, you're very pale," he said with a chuckle, slowly making his way up to the edge of the shore just where she was. She turned around and looked at the ocean again, and then glanced at him.

"Thanks," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and looking him over to see he had a nice tan on him, which she would probably never get, even if she tried. "And what are you doing out here?"

"Oh, I always come out here. It's like my.. hide away, if you want to call it that," Finnick said with a shrug.

"What are you hiding from? Don't you have tons of friends you could be hanging out?" Annie asked, raising an eyebrow.

He looked at her and shrugged.

"Maybe, but I'd rather be here," he said.

They looked at each other for a second, and Annie was starting to feel herself blush for some stupid reason, so she looked away, looking down at her feet which were buried a bit under the wet sand.  
"I can see why," she started. "It's very pretty, actually. I just don't go out here much because my parents are always keeping me under their watch and are making me do some kind've chores. The only reason I'm out here now if because.." Annie trailed off a bit, swallowing roughly and shaking her head.

"Because why?" Finnick asked, carefully as if not to push her to say anything which she didn't want to.

"They're getting a divorce," Annie shrugged a bit. "They haven't been getting along that well, but.. My dad is living somewhere else now. They just have to sign some papers and everything will be done," she said, her voice getting a bit quieter. Why was she telling a stranger this? Spilling the events of her personal life to a boy she didn't even know.

Finnick didn't say anything for a moment, because maybe he was thinking of something to say.

"I'm sorry, Annie," he said with a sigh, stepping closer to her. He suddenly put his hand on her shoulder and Annie looked up at him, facing him now.

"It's okay. I'm sure things will be fine in the long run," Annie said, looking up at him now since he was quite a bit taller than her.

"That's right. At least you're thinking about things positively," he said, nodding a bit, and smiling.

Annie didn't know what else to say, so she just looked at him. She bit her lip and looked down again, apparently too shy to make eye contact with him for more than a couple seconds.

"Yeah. Well, I think I better get going. It's getting dark out anyway," she said, glancing at him.

He chuckled, but she didn't know why.

"Alright, Cresta. See you around," he said with a smile.

"See ya, Odair," she said with a smile as well, biting the inside of her lip.

She turned around and started to walk away, looking down at the sand. Maybe she was too quick to judge Finnick Odair, because he really was a nice person and she liked him- just as a friend though, of course.


	2. Chapter 2

A month had past and had Annie adjusted to a new schedule. She would spend weekends with her Dad and weekdays with her Mom. She didn't like the adjustment at all. She missed both her parents being together in the same house. Love obviously never really lasted a lifetime. Anyone who said that was wrong, Annie thought. Two people can't possibly be together and love each other for a lifetime. It just didn't happen.

After talking to her that one day, Finnick Odair and her never saw each other after that. Only in school would she glance at him, and he wouldn't even pay attention to her. She should've known. No one that popular would ever be friends with her. She was an outcast; she didn't matter.

Annie never really went out to the beach anymore, only sometimes. There wasn't really a point in going if she didn't even know how to swim. No one had taught her anyway. Her parents never had enough time, or even cared enough. Annie though always thought the water was beautiful and fascinating. She wished she could swim and explore the whole different world of the sea.

On Sunday afternoon, her father had fallen asleep on the couch like he always did. Annie tiptoed downstairs and slowly but carefully opened the door and snuck out into the beautiful sunshine and fresh air. Annie made her way down to the beach since her house wasn't far from it. Eventually, she had reached the edge of the shore again, sighing contently and smiling since she hadn't been out here in so long. She looked around and frowned a bit, not knowing why she hoped to see Finnick out here.

Annie was wearing a skirt and a shirt, her usual dark curly hair falling over her shoulders. Annie bit her lip, taking a small step closer to the water. She put her feet in and walked a bit more out so that the cool ocean water was up to her knees now. Did she dare to go any further? What would happen if she did? Odds are things would be fine. She could just walk on the sand anyway. It's not like she would have to swim.

She walked up more, smiling a bit and getting her clothes all wet now as the water went up to her chest. The water felt great to her, cool against her skin. Annie took another step, and suddenly, she sunk under water. The sand floor of the ocean had dropped down dramatically and she couldn't find the bottom. She tried desperately to find something to hang onto, but she was sinking, sinking, struggling to get to the surface for breath. For one second, she reached the surface, taking a huge gulp of air, but the water quickly swallowed her again. _This is it, she thought._ She was done for. Her life was already going to be over just because of a stupid mistake.

Just as she was ready to give up, a pair of arms wrapped around her and slowly pulled her up to the surface. She couldn't open her eyes so she couldn't see who it was just yet. The person held onto her and with one arm, they made their way back to the shore. She opened her eyes just as he set her gently down on her back on the wet sand. Her eyes met his green ones for a second and she went into a coughing fit, having swallowed way too much sea water. She sat up and he patted her back as she coughed the water out, taking deep breaths and regaining her breath. She took a deep breath once it seemed like all the water was out, and then looked up at him.

Before she could even speak, Finnick pulled her into a tight hug and she held onto him, her breath shaking slightly as she clung to him, shivering as well. Tears were streaming down Annie's cheeks and she didn't know why. She was scared and still in shock. She started to sob into his chest, tightening her arms around him. She was hugging someone she didn't even know that well, but Finnick Odair had just saved her life and she was very grateful. Plus, she also wanted something, someone, to hold onto.

"It's alright.. Annie, it's okay.. I've got you. You're okay." His voice was so comforting and it relaxed her, making her calm down. She bit her lip and stopped crying after a moment.

"Th-Thank you," she stuttered out, her voice shaking still.

Finnick just shook his head, and slowly stood up, pulling her up with him gently.

"C'mon, you can come back to my house and we'll get you warm and fixed up, alright?" Finnick said with a nod.

Annie hesitated slightly before nodding, hoping her dad wouldn't wake before she got back.


	3. Chapter 3

Finnick walked her all the way back to his house which surprisingly she found that his house was pretty close to hers.

As Finnick opened the door, Annie nervously walked in with him and looked around. There was a woman standing there, chopping up some carrots. She had blue eyes and blondish hair. Her eyes looked up and when she saw both of them, she smiled. She put down the knife she was cutting with and walked forward.

"Hello," the woman said in a friendly voice, looking at Annie. Annie smiled nervously at her. "Finnick, who's your friend?" she asked, looking to Finnick.

"Mom, this is Annie. Annie Cresta. A friend from school," Finnick explained. "She's here because.." He trailed off slightly, looking over to Annie as if expecting her to finish the rest of the story.

"F-Finnick.. He saved me. I was in the ocean and I went to far and.. See, I don't know how to swim. I thought it was too late, but then he.. He saved me," Annie explained, her voice still shaking a bit as she shivered.

Finnick's mothers eyes widened.

"Well, goodness, Finnick, go get her some new clothes. She can probably wear something of Finnicks," she said, and then smiled kindly and Annie, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Poor thing. I'll make you some tea right away, okay?"

"Thank you.." Annie smiled a bit, and when she looked over at Finnick, he even looked a bit embarrassed.

He mumbled something under his breath and nodded, walking up the stairs with Annie walking closely behind. He led her to his room and to his closet, opening it and pulling out a plain blue shirt and some shorts.

"Thank you," she said, nodding a bit. "Bathroom?" she asked after a moment, pursing her lips.

Finnick pointed down the hallway and Annie nodded, walking down and to the bathroom. She quickly changed into his clothes, looking down at herself after. The dark blue shirt was a tiny bit baggy on her, but not much and the shorts were a bit baggy too. She just adjusted and tied the strings so it would be tight around her waist. She looked at herself in the mirror and tied her messy, wet hair back into a pony tail.

After, she slowly walked out of the bathroom and made her way to Finnick's room. She saw him sitting on the edge of his bed and he looked up. She walked a bit closer to him, folding her hands awkwardly in front of her since she felt a bit weird wearing his clothes.

"I just wanted to thank you again.. I'm really grateful," Annie said with a nod, smiling a bit.

Finnick shook his head and smiled a bit.

"It's honestly no problem. I'm just glad you're okay," he said with a nod.

Annie made her way a little bit closer to him and slowly took a seat on the edge of the bed next to you.

"Why.. Why do you care about me so much?" Annie asked suddenly, looking over at him and looking at him.

Finnick chuckled a bit and shrugged.

"I don't know. I just like you. You're nice, and shy and.. I don't know. There's just something about you," he said.

Annie blushed, her cheeks getting red, so she quickly looked down. After a moment, she looked back up at him.

"Well, thanks. I like you too," she said.

Finnick looked over at her and smiled. They looked at each other for a few seconds and Annie felt like a knot had twisted in her stomach. She was nervous, but the nice kind've nervous. She didn't even know why she was nervous in the first place. They were only friends and that was it. Obviously when he said he liked her, he had meant it as in a friendly way.

"Annie? Your tea is ready!" Finnick's mother called from downstairs.

Annie stood up, and so did Finnick. They both walked downstairs as Finnick's mother set a cup of tea on the table.

"I know I've said this a lot today, but thank you Mrs. Odair," Annie said with a small smile, walking over to the table.

"You can call me Chloe, sweetie," Chloe said.

Annie felt like this was her family just as much as her real family was, maybe even more. She felt closer to Finnick even though they didn't really know each other still that well.

About a half an hour later when Annie was done with her tea, she stood up from the table.

"I better get going now," she said with a nod, looking at Finnick and then at Chloe. "Thank you, Mrs. Od- I mean, Chloe." Annie looked over at Finnick and he looked at her.

"Want me to walk you home?" He asked.

Annie nodded a bit, and walked out the door with him. They started to walk down the beach again, both of them looking down and not saying anything until Annie spoke up.

"Um.. Sorry for taking your clothes. I'll give them back, you know, sometime," she said.

He chuckled a bit, shaking his head.

"It's alright, Cresta," was all he said.

Suddenly, Finnick reached over and took Annie's hand, intertwining their fingers together. Annie blushed deeply, looking over at him and looking like she was about to say something, but she didn't. She liked holding hands with him, it making her feel even more comforted than before.

They walked the rest of the way to Annie's house in silence. When they reached their destination, Annie let go of Finnick's hand. He pulled her in for a hug and Annie hugged him back, sighing a bit.

He let go of her after a moment and waved goodbye, starting to walk away. Annie watched him for a moment before turning around and quietly opening the door to her house. Once she got in, she looked to the couch and didn't see her father sleeping. Her heart began to beat faster in her chest and she looked around.

Suddenly, she heard him stomping down the stairs, looking angry when he saw Annie.

"Where the hell have you been?" Her father spat angrily, taking her by the wrist and yanking her foreword.

Annie shrieked a bit, trying to get him to let go since she was scared. Her father had never been like this before, and the cold look in his eyes scared he even more.

"I just.. I went out to the beach," she stuttered.

"Why are you wearing different clothes?" He asked, his voice having a sharp edge to it.

Her father towered over her, his dark hair looking messy and tattered.

"I.. I.." Annie stuttered out, not being able to find the words. She didn't want to tell him what had happened, he would just get even more angry.

"Don't ever leave this house again without permission! You hear me?" He yelled.

"I just went to the beach!" She yelled back at him.

He looked at her for a moment and let go of her wrist, bringing that hand back and smacking her hard across the face with it.

Annie held her cheek, not being able to believe what he had just done. Her father had always been so kind. She didn't understand. Maybe it was because of the divorce, but either way, she was in a state of shock.

Tears started to stream down her pale cheeks and she let out a sob, still holding onto her cheek as she ran up the stairs. She went into her room and locked the door behind her, hoping that he would never come near her again.


	4. Chapter 4

Life went on for Annie, and weeks past. Her father had become an alcoholic, and almost every night, he would drown his sorrows and sadness in alcohol. Her father hit her more times; more than just once. He only hit her when he was drunk, she noticed, but when wasn't he drunk? The divorce had obviously hit him hard, and taken an awful toll on him. A toll that didn't even make him a father anymore. Annie didn't think of him as a father, at least. She knew she shouldn't hate him, but she really did.

On those terrible weekends, she would sneak out and go to the beach. Now, he was too drunk to even care anymore or notice. Sometimes Finnick would be out there, and she would talk to him, their friendship growing stronger and stronger as the days went on. He had been teaching her how to swim recently and as the days went on, she had gotten better at it and was growing rather fond of the water.

Annie didn't want to be there anymore, but she didn't have the courage to tell anyone. Finnick knew though. He saw the marks on her, and one time, he spoke up about it but Annie didn't want to talk and quickly changed the subject. She knew that he knew what was going on, but it seemed that both of them were just avoiding the subject.

Her father would be horribly angry if he found out she told anyone. The only times she was happy is when she was happy and when she was with her mother. Her mother was an emotional wreck, but still, her mother treated her with kindness, unlike her father. It was like her mother didn't even pay attention to her though as the days went on; she never even noticed the marks on Annie's arms or face. Annie usually hid the ones on her arms with long sleeves, but still, the ones on her face were visible.

School had ended about a week ago, and Annie was happy about that at least. Finnick and her would have more time to see each other.

It was the middle of June and today was Annie's birthday. Usually anyone would be happy about their birthday, but not here in Panem.

One more year of life equalled one more time her name would be put into the reaping bowl. Two times she was in there now.

She didn't spend her day any different either. Her mother had baked her a small cupcake, but that was it. She was grateful for even that though.

Then, in the middle of the day, she went down to the beach and a smile appeared on her face when she saw Finnick there.

He turned around and looked at her since he had heard footsteps, and he too smiled at her.

She took a seat next to him.

"Hi," Annie said, looking over at him.

"Hi," Finnick said, looking back at her.

He took something out from his pocket, and gave it to her.

"Happy birthday, by the way, Cresta," he said.

She looked at it in her palm. It was a small bracelet. It had small seashells on it, and it was blue; the color of the ocean.

Annie smiled, and slipped it on her wrist. She almost teared up even, which was stupid, but it just made her so happy. This was the only present she had gotten from anyone.

"You remembered," she said, looking down at her wrist.

"Of course I did. How could I forget? I remember almost everything you tell me," he said, his voice gentle.

She smiled slightly.

"I'm as old as you now," she said.

"Not for long. My birthday is just next month. Nice try, though," he said with a small chuckle, and Annie laughed a bit too.

Annie stared at him before wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, Finnick. So much," she said quietly, her voice breaking and tears falling down from her eyes and onto his shirt. She had been going through such hard times lately, and now she was just sort've loosing it. Maybe it was stupid to cry, but he was the only one really there for her.

"It's just a bracelet, An-" But then he stopped himself, and just nodded. "You're welcome, Annie." He kept his arms tightly around her and he slowly ran his hand up and down her back, the feeling calming her down.

She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder and just continuing to be held in his embrace. She felt better with his arms around her, and she never wanted to let go.


	5. Chapter 5

The two months went by fairly quickly. Annie was living at her mothers' house now since her father had disappeared.

A few weeks ago, Annie came over to her fathers to find that he wasn't even there anymore. Plus, the majority of his clothes and some of his things were missing. He had probably packed them in a suitcase, and just left. He had left them.

Even though she did love her Dad, it was somewhat of a relief. Her Mom had finally noticed the bruises on Annie, but still, Annie made up some excuse again. She wouldn't reveal the secret. The only one that really knew anyway was Finnick. It was over anyway. She wasn't getting hit anymore, and that was a great relief to her.

She was angry at her Dad for leaving and on the toughest of nights, she would cry and cry herself to sleep. Her mother was taking it difficult as well.

Finnick was the rainbow that came after the storm, though. He was always there and always was comforting her. Annie had spent most of her days with him, and he would teach her how to swim, which she was getting fairly good at. They would have races sometimes in the water to see who could go the fastest and win. Annie always liked that even though Finnick would usually win.

Today, the sun was shining down brightly on Finnick and Annie as they sat on the beach together, Annie hugging her knees as usual and staring out at the ocean. She felt a bit uneasy today, even more so as the days neared closer. But tomorrow was it. Tomorrow was the reaping of the 65th Hunger Games.

"You alright?" Finnick asked, concerned as he looked over at Annie.

She looked back at him and shrugged a bit.

"Tomorrow's the reaping, Finn," Annie said, biting on her lip.

"Ah," Finnick said with a nod. And then he too looked a bit uneasy.

"You're not volunteering," Annie said to him, her voice sounding more serious now. She didn't mean to be so stern with him, but there was no way she would let him do that. She couldn't loose him.

He looked at her for a moment before nodding slowly.

"I won't, and you don't either, okay?" Finnick said quietly.

"Of course not," Annie said with a nod.

Finnick nodded, sighing and slowly reaching over to grab her hand. Annie could feel herself blushing for some stupid reason. He intertwined their fingers together and slowly ran his hand along the top of her hand.

They looked at each other for a moment, and Annie's heart started to beat a bit faster. Why was he looking at her like this? And why were they holding hands? They never really did.

"It's going to be okay, Annie," Finnick said reassuringly, still keeping eye contact with her and looking at her with those big, green eyes.

She nodded a bit, and it was weird because she instantly felt a bit better.

He smiled a bit and ran his fingers over the bracelet he had given her for her birthday a few months ago. Annie never took that bracelet off.

Annie cleared her throat and slowly pulled her hand away from his.

"I better go. It's getting late," she said, standing up. "I'll see you tomorrow, Finn."

Finnick nodded, smiling a bit as he looked at her. Annie smiled back and turned around, starting to walk back to her house.

When she reached her mother's house, she just let in herself in, looking around her house, and not finding her mother. She just sighed, closing the door behind her and taking off her flip flops.

Annie made her way upstairs and found her mothers bedroom door closed.

"Mom?" Annie asked, knocking lightly on the door.

After a moment of waiting, Annie opened the door and saw her mother lying on the bed with the covers over her, sleeping.

Annie sighed, closing the door again and turning around. Annie went to her own room and walked in, closing the door behind her. She walked over to her bed and plopped down on it, sighing as she pulled the covers over her and stared up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes, trying not to think about the reaping that was tomorrow. Awhile later, Annie slowly fell asleep.

"Annie.. Annie.."

The voice she awoke to was her mothers.

Annie fluttered her eyes open to see her mother looking down at her, her pale face looking even more pale than usual today.

"It's time to get up," her mother said, and Annie nodded, slowly sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"I've picked out your clothes for you," her mother said, pointing over to the clothes that were laid out at the edge of her bed.

"Thanks," Annie said and her mother nodded, walking out of the room.

Annie got up out of bed and slipped off her clothes, putting on the new ones. She had on a green dress with short sleeves, and a small white sweater that pulled over it. Annie walked to the bathroom, brushing out her dark and tangly hair. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, and then walked downstairs.

Her mother looked at her when she came downstairs, and her mother looked like she was going to burst into tears at any moment. This day wasn't easy for anyone.

"I don't need any breakfast, Mom," Annie said quietly. "Let's just go."

Her mother looked at her for a moment before nodding. Annie walked over to her mother, taking her hand gently as they both walked out the door together.

They walked for awhile until they were at the square. Annie immediately started looking around for Finnick and it wasn't long until she spotted him. He was already standing on the left hand side with the boys.

Annie sighed deeply and turned to her mother, hugging her tightly before pulling away and walking over to join the girls on the right hand side.

As usual, their escort welcomed them to the reaping of the 65th Hunger Games. They watched the video about why they had the Hunger Games every year, but Annie wasn't paying attention much. Her heart was beating fast. She wasn't worried just for herself, but for Finnick as well. She didn't want to loose him.

When the video was over, their escort from the Capitol made her way over to the microphone and smiled a big, cheerful smile as if today was the best day ever.

"Welcome, welcome. The time has come for us to.. select one young man and women to represent District four in the 65th annual Hunger Games," their escort said cheerfully. "As usual, ladies first."

Annie swallowed roughly, watching her make her way over to the girls bowl. The escort selected a piece of paper out of the bowl and made her way over to the microphone, opening the piece of paper and reading out, "Claire Johnson."

A frightened looking girl with long brown hair slowly stepped out into the aisle way and started making her way to the stage. Annie didn't know the girl personally, but had only seen her around school a couple of times. The girl looked around six-teen years old, and Annie felt relieved that it wasn't her, and at the same time, felt bad for the girl. The girl made her way up to the stage, and she looked like she was going to burst out into tears any second. Annie was shocked that no one had volunteered for her, because this was a career district. But it seemed that even in District four, fewer and fewer people each year were volunteering for others. Maybe people were starting to get scared.

"Wonderful!" the escort said, smiling brightly. "Now for the boys."

Annie's heart was still beating fast, and she watched the

escort walk over to the boys bowl and take out a slip of paper. She walked over to the microphone, opening the slip of paper and taking a deep breath before reading out the name, "Finnick Odair."


	6. Chapter 6

It was an indescribable feeling of hurt and pain. It felt as if her heart had sunk down to her stomach. She just felt numb with sadness as her eyes fixed on him.

Finnick was making his way up to the stage, and Annie could tell he was trying to be as strong as possible, but his fear was showing.

_Please someone volunteer. Please, please. He doesn't deserve this._

But no one did.

Finnick finally made his way up to the stage, and stood by Claire. Finnick's eyes found Annie and he looked sorrowful and sad as well. Tears were freely streaming down Annie's cheeks now and she covered her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob. She had lost too much already. She couldn't loose her best friend now; one of the people she really cared about.

"Well then. Our tributes for the 65th Hunger Games, Claire Johnson and Finnick Odair," their escort said.

_It shouldn't be him. It can't be him. _

Their escort smiled brightly and led the two into the Justice Building. Annie felt like breaking down right there and then. She started to push past people, trying to make her way to the front to get into the Justice Building. Annie could see Finnick's mother making her way into the building. Would they let Annie go in? She wasn't family to Finnick, but she was his best friend. They probably wouldn't even care. The Capitol didn't care about anyone or anything. They were ruthless.

Annie continued to push past people until she was at the doors of the Justice Building. People were too busy shuffling to get out of the square to even notice her small self sneaking in through the doors of the building.

Annie sniffed, wiping her tears away and looking around the building. Annie started to walk around, searching for the door that he was in. This building was so big, it was hard to find her way around since she had never been in here before. Suddenly, Annie heard Finnick's mother, Chloe, crying.

"No!" she yelled in a sob, and Annie could see the peacekeepers holding her arms and taking her away from the door that Finnick was in and leading her to the exit. It was sick how little time parents got to say goodbye to their children. They shouldn't even have to at all.

The peacekeepers had their back to Annie so they didn't notice her. Annie followed where Chloe was being taken away from and she quickly walked until she reached the door Finnick was in. Annie opened the door, and she saw Finnick pacing around. He quickly looked up and saw her, stopping in his tracks. Annie closed the door and before he could say anything, Annie pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him.

"No, Finnick.. You can't leave me," Annie mumbled quietly, burying her face into his chest and letting her tears fall onto his shirt.

"Ssh.. It's okay, A..Annie," he said, his voice faltering slightly, as he held her close to him.

How could he say that? Things weren't going to be okay. Finnick might die. Her best friend could die and that scared her half to death.

After a moment, Annie pulled away, looking up at him and biting the inside of her lip. Her face was wet with tears, her eyes red and puffy, but she didn't care.

"You come home to me, okay? Come home, Finnick. Please," Annie said, her voice almost sounding desperate.

"I'm going to try my best, Annie," he said with a small nod, pursing his lips. Annie could tell he was trying to fight back tears. "I promise. I'll do anything it takes to come home."

"Okay," Annie nodded a bit, her hands resting on his shoulders as she looked up at him. "You're the bravest person, I know. You can do this. I know you can," she added, trying to reassure him but herself too at the same time.

Finnick nodded, slowly moving his fingertips to rest again her cheek. He wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"Thank you, Annie," he said quietly, tucking a piece of her dark hair behind her ear. Even though she was feeling horribly upset, her made her feel better just by the little things he did.

Annie just looked at him, and she was surprised to see him start to lean in. But Finnick only kissed her cheek softly, and when he pulled away, he gave her a weak smile; one that looked forced so he could try to convince Annie things would be okay.

Suddenly, the peace keepers came and took Annie's arms.

"No," Annie mumbled, tears starting to stream down her cheeks again.

Annie reached out for Finnick as if she could reach him, but they quickly led her out the door where Finnick was. They escorted her all the way to the exit of the Justice Building and finally let go of her when she was outside. They quickly shut the doors, and Annie just sort've stared at the doors for a moment, feeling numb.

After a moment, she turned around and started to walk home although her legs felt like they would collapse beneath her. She walked all the way to the beach and when she was there, she sat in the sand, looking out at the ocean and thinking of nothing but Finnick.


	7. Chapter 7

The next few weeks were the worst of Annie's life. She did nothing but worry about Finnick. Annie watched him on the television almost all the time. She watched his interviews, and watched as the Capitol dressed him up in some nice little suit and sent him on the stage so he could try to win over the Capitol. And he did. He did very well at that, his charm winning over most of the people and making them awe at him.

When the games started though, Annie watched almost in disbelief as Finnick turned on the career pack, but she was glad that he did it. He was smart. He would be able to win this. Her stomach felt queasy watching the games, watching all that blood and murder. Her mother would tell her to stop watching and sometimes would make her go outside, but Annie couldn't bare to take her eyes off the television in fear that her best friend would be killed. She didn't like watching the games, but this time, she needed to.

It wasn't until Finnick got the best sponsor anyone had ever received did Annie know just how skilled he was with a trident. She watched as he trapped the people in his net and pierced the weapon right through them, as if he had no mercy at all. She watched as the games turned an only fourteen year old boy into a killer. Annie knew that he wasn't like this; he was doing what he needed to do to survive.

When it came down to the last person and Finnick, Annie could barley even watch she was so scared and nervous. He was going to win this. She knew it. The relief swept over her when Finnick made his final kill with the trident and then was congratulated for winning the 65th Hunger Games; the games youngest winner ever at that.

Annie knew Finnick would be damaged. Who wouldn't be after going through all that? He didn't deserve to go through all that at so young. But she would help him. She would help him heal.

She stood in the audience, being one of the first people there as Finnick stepped off the train and back into District four. She smiled as he stood there smiling and waving to everyone. Finally, his eyes caught hers and she could see already the pain and hurt deep in his green eyes. He still smiled at her though, and she smiled back. Words couldn't describe how happy she was to have him home and safe.

Three days had passed and in each of those three days, Annie went out onto the beach and saw no sign of Finnick. When she went over to his house, she saw it was empty. She knew he was moving into the Victor's Village and he was busy, but she wanted to see him; she desperately wanted to speak to him.

On the fourth day, Annie finally saw him there. He wasn't swimming, only sitting there, hugging his knees and staring out into the hue of the orange sunset.

Trying not to startle him, Annie slowly made her way over to him, and Finnick looked at her as she sat down next to him. She looked back at him and he smiled, this smile seeming genuine.

Finnick wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. She wrapped her arms back around him, burying her face into his shoulder and holding him as if he were going to somehow slip away.

"I missed you so much," he mumbled quietly to her, sighing slightly as if in relief.

"I missed you too, Finnick.." Annie said, trying not to be too emotional although her eyes were welling up with tears which was something she really couldn't help.

After a moment, they pulled away from the embrace and she looked up at him.

"Thank you for coming home to me," Annie said.

"I told you I would try my absolute best," Finnick said with a nod. He took her hand and gave it a small squeeze, Annie always liking when he did this.

Annie nodded, and suddenly, Finnick looked down with a sigh.

"Did you watch? Did you.. Watch the games?" he asked quietly.

Annie nodded again slowly.

"I had to see how you were. Finnick.. I'm not going to judge you. I don't think you were wrong in any way, okay?" she said, trying to reasure him. "You were just doing what you needed to do. And I'm glad you did. Because you survived and you're here with me now."

Finnick looked up at her, and again, she could see the hurt and the pain in his eyes. Surprisingly, she saw his eyes start to well up with tears. Finnick never really cried; not in front of her at least.

"I killed so many.. I'm.." Finnick looked away and shut his eyes, a tear rolling down his cheek. "I'm a horrible person.. Sick even." He quickly wiped the tear away.

Annie looked at him sadly and he opened his eyes again, but he just stared down at the sand. She didn't know really how to approach this. She had never been through this situation before, and it was hard, but she was trying her best to understand.

"I can't change the way you think about yourself, Finnick. But you're not horrible. I don't think that at all," she said quietly. "This is going to take some time to get over and I'm so sorry this had to happen to you. You're the last person that deserves this."

He looked up at her, nodding.

"Thank you, Annie," he said, giving her a sad smile.

Annie nodded.

"I'm going to be here.. Whenever you need me," she said. "We can get through this.. Together."

He squeezed her hand lightly again.

"Together," Finnick agreed.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Authors note:**_

**Hi guys! I just wanted to say thanks a bunch for all the follows. :) (Reviews are also appreciated. c:) In this chapter, I skip a lot of time which I'll probably be doing throughout the story at some points. Well, thank you again. Happy reading!**

It had been two years since Finnick had won his games. Annie was fifteen years old and Finnick was sixteen, had just turned sixteen actually.

Finnick and Annie were still inseparable. Best friends, but nothing more still. They spent their days with each other, meeting on the beach or walking through the town.

Finnick had a few girlfriends that came and went, nothing ever serious. Annie didn't. Like to admit it, but deep down it really made her jealous. To see those girls all over him made her feel sad. Maybe she wanted to be with him like that. She didn't know. She was only fifteen, why should she even be worrying about this anyway? It was just simply irritating. None of those girls knew him like she knew him.

Things were still relatively the same though. Annie's father was still nowhere to be found, but things were slowly getting better. Her mother was still there and supported them as much as she could. Finnick would also help out sometimes with things since he was pretty wealthy now.

Annie wasn't able to see Finnick as much as she used to before, but she understood. It wasn't his fault. He was busy, especially when the games rolled around. But lately, he had been gone more than he usually was. Finnick always told Annie that he was in the Capitol to meet people, sign things, and attend interviews and what not. He had become a celebrity; almost everyone in the Capitol adored him. But Annie didn't really believe his reasoning. She just thought there was something suspicious about it.

It was winter in District four, which didn't really matter. They never got any snow, and the weather was always warm. Annie sighed to herself as she looked over at the clock on her wall which stated that the time was fifteen minutes past one in the morning. Finnick had just gotten back from the Captiol in which he was gone for almost two weeks. She missed him so much it was unbelievable. Where the hell was he going for so long?

Annie couldn't take it anymore. She got up from her bed, walking over and opening her window. She bit her lip as she climbed easily out of the window, landing on the ground that was only five feet below her. She shut her window quietly, and started making her way to Finnick's house in the Victor's Village. She knew it was crazy and stupid, but she had to see him.

When she arrived, she made her way over to where Finnick's bedroom window was. Her eyes fixed upon him through the window. He was sitting at his desk, running his fingers through his messy hair and writing something on a piece of paper. Annie moved closer, hoping he wouldn't be mad as she tapped lightly on his window. Finnick turned around, his green eyes fixing on her. He looked surprised at first, but then smiled a tired smile. Annie noticed he looked different, the bags under his eyes obviously noticeable.

Finnick made his way over to the window and opened it for her, taking her hand and guiding her safely inside his warm bedroom. He closed the window and turned to her, pulling her into a hug and sighing.

"I don't even care that it's late. I'm so glad you came, Annie," he said quietly, sighing a bit as he held her tightly. There was definitely a certain sadness to his voice that Annie noticed, and his grip on her was tight, as if he never wanted to let her go

"Hey.. I'm here," Annie said quietly, sighing and burying her face in his shoulder, holding him just as tightly as she wrapped her arms around him.

After a moment, he pulled away, looking down at her.

"I missed you a lot, Finnick," Annie said quietly, biting her lip. "You were gone for so long."

Finnick nodded, looking as if he knew this was coming.

"I know. I've just been so.. Busy," Finnick said, sort've starting to pace slowly a around his room, keeping his eyes to the floor as if he just didn't want to look at her.

Annie cleared her throat, and walked over, taking a seat at the edge of his bed. She watched as he paced around.

"What.." Annie sighed and took a deep breath, not wanting to yell at him or seem mean. "You've been gone for two weeks. It seems these trips just keep getting longer. What are you doing there, Finnick? You look so tired and.." Annie railed off, looking up to him and twiddling her thumbs absentmindedly.

Finnick stopped pacing around and looked at her, suddenly looking angry for some reason. He got a bit closer to her, but Annie just kept staring at him, her green eyes looking at him with worry and concern.

"You're so innocent, aren't you?" Finnick asked, rolling his eyes and running a hand through his hair. "What's the farthest you've ever gone with a guy, hm? You've never even had a boyfriend, Annie."

Annie bit on her lip, looking down and away from him. It was true. She had never done anything with anyone ever. Never even a kiss.

"Why are you being so rude?" She asked, gaining more confidence as she looked up at him again, and standing up so she didn't feel so small and defeated. "What does it even matter? You've changed quite a lot ever since these trips, Finnick. Tell me what the hell is going on!" Annie raised her voice just a bit.

"You have no idea, Annie.. I envy you.." Finnick ran his hands over his face, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Envy me? For what?" Annie asked.

"Your innocence."

Annie tilted her head to look at him.

"What, and you're not innocent? You are, Finnick. You're only sixteen," Annie reminded him, softening her voice.

Finnick looked up at her and surprisingly, she saw the tears in his big, green eyes.

"Finnick.." She started, moving closer to him. She looked up at him, resting her fingertips gently on his cheek.

"You can't tell anyone.. Please. I'm not even allowed to tell you this right now," Finnick said.

Annie nodded, quickly, feeling concerned and apprehensive to what he was going to say. Finnick slowly took both of her hands in his, biting his lip.

"I'm being sold.. To the Capitol people. It just started when I turned sixteen," he said quietly, fixing his eyes to the ground.

"S..Sold? What does that mean?" Annie asked quietly, squeezing his hand gently.

"It means.. I'm a prostitute for the Capitol. The Capitol people, they can.. Buy me. I.. I have to.." Finnick closed his eyes for a moment, sighing deeply.

Annie understood what he meant, but she couldn't believe it.

"Oh god.. Oh, Finnick.. I'm so sorry," Annie mumbled, pulling him into a tight hug. He hugged her back, his strong arms wrapping around her. "You don't deserve that." Annie bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that were in her eyes.

"I lost my virginity to a complete stranger, Annie," he said, his voice cracking now. Annie could feel his wet, hot tears dripping onto her shirt but she didn't care.

She didn't know what to say. She was at a loss for words, just slowly running her fingers through his soft hair.

"They can't make you do this. What if you refuse?" Annie asked, pulling away slowly and looking up at him.

"See, I can't refuse. If I do.. They'll kill my loved ones. Everyone I care about," Finnick mumbled, and he looked at her, his expression serious now. "And that's why you can't tell anyone. Act as if you never knew I told you this, alright? I don't want them to hurt you."

Annie nodded quickly, pursing her lips.

"I won't. I won't tell anyone," Annie said quietly, gently wiping his tears away with her thumb. "Again, I'm so sorry that they're doing this. This world is so.. I hate everything about where we live, what we do.. This needs to change, Finnick. They can't keep controlling us like this," she added with a sigh.

Finnick nodded.

"I know. It's so awful here. I doubt it'll ever change. They have complete control over us, and that's that." Finnick sighed deeply again.

"Maybe one day it'll change.." She mumbled, although her voice didn't sound very confident or positive at all.

"Just.. Don't worry about me, all right?" Finnick said with a small nod. Just worry about yourself."

"How am I supposed to do that, Finnick? I hate that this is happening to you. I don't want to see you hurt. You're my best friend.. You're my everything." Annie looked up to him, looking into his green eyes and noticing he was looking back as well into hers.

"Your everything?" Finnick asked quietly, smiling a bit and moving his hand up so his fingernails rested lightly on her cheek. "You're my everything too, Annie. You're on my mind almost constantly."

Annie's cheeks turned a light shade up red and she smiled nervously, pursing her lips.

"I'll always be here, Finnick. We can help each other. Fix each other," she said, looking up at him still. "We need each other."

Finnick slowly tucked a piece of her dark hair behind her ear, and Annie's heart started to beat a little faster. They had never been this close before.

"Indeed we do," Finnick said quietly, and then he leaned in, pressing a soft, sweet, and gentle kiss to her lips.


End file.
